WATER QUALITY OF LANDER RUN: A DAMAGED URBAN STREAM IN GREENWOOD, SOUTH CAROLINA

Lander Run is a small stream running along the edge of Lander University in Greenwood. The stream shows significant degradation with broken concrete slabs and clay spalling off the sides of the stream bed. Gullying has undermined significant portions of the stream bed in the last decade, erosion having deepened sections to a depth more than 6 feet below the surrounding area.

As part of the initial stages for a remediation project of Lander Run, water samples were collected for microbiological analysis. Coliform counts indicated significant pollution.

Water quality analysis was then performed. Preliminary results showed phosphate and nitrate concentrations of 3.90 ppm and 1.3 ppm, respectively. Both of these values are above acceptable readings; the nitrate value beyond the acceptable for sanitary and industrial engineering. The phosphate value is considerably above the usual value of 0.1 ppm or lower found in waters not polluted by agricultural drainage.